Can Diabetics Donate Blood ? – Your Option as Diabetic

Wednesday, August 16th 2017

Can diabetics donate blood? An interesting question that every diabetic should know the answer. Here is the good news. Donating blood is safe for diabetics as the doctors have confirmed. It is actually a selfless way in helping other people who need help due to certain medical conditions.

A person including a diabetic can have various reasons to donate blood. Despite being completely safe, a diabetic should fulfill some requirements first before being able to donate blood.

Blood Screening for Diabetics

Before a diabetic is able to donate blood, he/she should undergo a screening to make sure his condition is eligible for donating blood. The screening involves disclosure of any preexisting health conditions, evaluation and measurement of basic vital statistics including blood pressure, pulse and temperature.

Taking a small blood sample is also necessary to determine the level of hemoglobin. Once the screening is completed, diabetic should share the screening result and answer some additional questions. It is also necessary to share information regarding the diabetes medicine that the person has been taking.

Other requirements for diabetics to fulfill include being in good health condition especially on the day of blood donation, weighing more than 110 pounds, and being older than 16 years old (the age may vary depending on the state). In case you are not feeling well on the blood donation day, you need to reschedule the donation session to another day.

However, there are certain conditions where diabetic is ineligible to donate blood. It includes diabetics who have undergone surgery for narrowed or blocked arteries, heart failure or other heart problems and also giddiness and faintness as result heart-related problems.

If any of these conditions found in you, be wise to not donate blood because it can put your condition in danger. Find other ways to help others.